It is not easy to find accommodations in the Cinque Terre (Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia,
Riomaggiore) unless you book ahead. You can try to arrive without
reservations, but from June to September it is almost
impossible to find a free bed in these little villages. The only chance you
have is to arrive early in the morning and see if anything is available.

The town of Levanto is bigger and has a lot of accommodations: Hotels,
camping areas, Bed & Breakfasts, vacation rentals. You can select from a
great choice of places and prices.

Remember: Make your reservation months before your arrival. Then make a
confirmation call some time before your arrival. If the hotel thinks you
will not show up, they will give your room to somebody else!

Rates

You can reach the Cinque Terre by train or car. Since the train service
is good in this region, it is not necessary to rent a car for your vacation
here.

Arrival By
Train

Faster trains are Eurostar (ES), Intercity (IC) or Direct (D). The Regional
(R) is a local train - stops in every station.

From the south, take the train to La Spezia, where you change to a
regional ("Regionale") train that makes all the local
stops in the Cinque Terre. All the Cinque Terre towns have their own train
station. Almost all the trains from La Spezia stop in Levanto. Check your
train schedule carefully - some trains that stop in La Spezia, also stop in
Levanto, so you do not need to change in La Spezia. Some trains from La
Spezia may only stop in Levanto or Monterorsso, not all the Cinque Terre
towns.

From the north, take the train to Levanto (you may have to change
trains in Genoa for a train to Levanto). Change trains in Levanto to a
regional ("Regionale") train that makes all the local
stops in the Cinque Terre. All the Cinque Terre towns have their own train
station.

Arrival
By Car

From
Genova (north) take the A-12 Autostrada south in the direction of Livorno
(Genova - Livorno).

From Pisa (south) take the A-12 Autostrada north in the direction of
Genova (Livorno - Genova)

BEWARE:
From November to May near Milan and in all the northern part of Italy far
from the sea you will find FOG!

From the A-12 Autostrada, either coming from the north or south, take the
Carrodano - Levanto exit. Follow the signs to Levanto or to the Cinque Terre
(Monterosso).

CAUTION:
Take care on the road between the hamlet of Montale and Levanto because
there are lots of blends. After the tunnel you will see the wonderful
Levanto Valley that includes the 16 hamlets and the Levanto Gulf. (Recently
a music video was made here for a hit song of an Italian singer, Eugenio
Finardi.) From Levanto you will easily find the road to Monterosso and the
other villages.

The road to the Cinque Terre is very narrow and has lots of blends. Only
a few tourists visit the Cinque Terre by car. Almost all leave their car in
Levanto and use the train or even the boat to arrive to the Cinque Terre.

Some people
say that the nearest exit is La Spezia/S.Stefano Magra: false!!! It is 35 km
from the La Spezia/S.Stefano Magra exit to the Cinque Terre town of
Riomaggiore and you have to drive through busy La Spezia. The Carrodano -
Levanto exit is only 15 km from Monterosso and is an easy drive.

Below are some useful maps of the Autostrada. Click on the image to see a
larger version.

To find your way by train, go to the self-serve ticket kiosk in any
station, name your destination, and the earliest time you might want to
depart. The machine will tell you all the connections from that time on. You
can choose the quickest, the earliest, the cheapest, whatever you want. You
can also name a departure point other than the one that you're in.

From Florence a 90km ticket works to get you to the Cinque Terre.

Try the Cinque Terre day pass to travel all day between the Cinque Terre
towns (specify 2nd class, La Spezia to Monterosso).

Don't be
fooled; your pass says "24 hours", but expires at midnight (remember to
write your name on it and stamp it).

The 5km train day pass works for the Cinque Terre
towns

Stamp your ticket in the machine on the platform
before you get on the train. You will be fined by the conductor if your
ticket has not been stamped.

In the Cinque Terre towns there are small pay parking lots in Monterosso
and Riomaggiore. During the summer, from May to August, the car park is
usually full and the roads to Monterosso and Riomaggiore are closed because
there is no parking available. The other villages are always closed to cars,
except for the residents.

There is a Taxi service In Monterosso, Vernazza and Manarola.

Levanto has many parking areas. You can find two good parking lots in
Levanto: one near the railway station and the other near the sea. However,
in August, even Levanto is crowded and you will need good luck to find a
parking spot.

When you
are parking, be sure that you do not park in areas reserved for residents
(these are marked by a blue sign with the words Parcheggio Residenti).

To call somewhere in Cinque Terre from the United States, dial 011-39,
then the local number (e.g. 011-39-0187-555555). The area code for this area
is 0187. Unlike for other European countries, when calling Italy from
another country, you must dial the zero in the area code.

Breakfast in an Italian hotel or B&B will be some slices of bread and a
croissant, butter, jam and coffee. Orange juice if you are lucky. This is a
typical Italian breakfast. If you have a choice, get a room without
breakfast and head down to the nearest cafe where there is a larger choice.

Still, scrambled eggs and waffles cannot be found anywhere. Instead try
Italian Caffe and Cappuccino, milk and coffee, the Italian way. If cappucino
is too strong for you, try caffe latte. Note that if you ask for coffee, you
will be served an espresso. If you want American style coffee, ask for an
"American coffee". It will taste different from the usual coffee in the US
because the coffee beans are roasted differently.

Pesto, the classic Ligurian Pasta sauce

In Italy, spaghetti is a first course. You can find spaghetti with tomato
sauce, with mussels (very good), or other seafood. You can try Spaghetti al
Pesto. Pesto is a classic Ligurian sauce, made with basil, garlic and pine
kernels: you will love it!